The boys soccer team started the year off strong and undefeated as usual, until Chicopee handed them their first loss. The game came filled with missed opportunities, and as the tensions began rising so did the yellow cards.
“The loss at Chicopee only motivated us to work harder and reminded us not to take success for granted,” says senior defender Luke Woishnis.
This loss shattered their hopes of an undefeated season, however the Lionspushed towards their main goal for that season: to make it to another state title game..
Coach Greg Kolodziey also is able to see the lesson learned in a season game loss. “Chicopee is a good team. It was a tough game. They have players that can capitalize on your mistakes and that’s the way the game went. Credit to them. We played really well at times though. We’ll learn from the game and move on,” says Kolodziey.
That’s exactly what the team did. Ludlow quickly got back on their feet keeping a steady record after the upset. Even with an exceptional squad there’s always room for improvement.
“Our team is a great group of kids, we are a very talented squad, our effort could use a little improvement, but overall I’d say we play some I’d the best futebol around,” says senior captain Curtis Pereira.
The team as a whole is very hardworking and skilled and their efforts don’t go unrecognized. The team consists of new varsity members as well as many returning players that you can be sure to see dominating the soccer field. One of those returning varsity players is senior Luke Woishnis who was recently named athlete of the week. “It was nice being named athlete of the week, but I always prefer having my entire team recognized,” says Woishnis.
Although it may seem that the varsity team walks out on the field every game with great confidence, the nerves still get to them from time to time.
When Curtis was asked if he was nervous to play in any upcoming games, he had no shame in saying “[we’re] always nervous, but I think we play our best when we’re just a little nervous.”
As it stands, the Lions sit tall at the top of the standing board with a record of 12-1-5.
The Lions pushed their way through Northampton in the playoffs. Then it was time for the lions to face Chicopee High once again. It was a challenging game that went into over time, but the lions conquered, winning 2-1.
The lions faced a loss in the Western Mass playoffs against Amherst High School. The game dragged on through two overtimes with no score. In penalty kicks the lions got ahead 3-4 with a save by Kevin Borowiec, but unfortunately, after two missed shots, Amherst walked away with the 2012 Western Mass. title.